Wire stretcher and holder



(No Model.)

' A. WESTMEYER.

WIRE STRETCHBR AND HOLDER.

No. 496,713. Patentd May 2, 1893.

WITNESSES:

' ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

ADOLF VESTMEYER, OF PACIFIC, MISSOURI.

WIRE STRETCHER AND HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 496,713, dated May 2,1893.

Application filed February 23,1893. Serial No. 463,432. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADOLF WESTMEYER, of Pacific, in the county of Franklin and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Wire Stretchers and Holders, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in implements used to stretch fence wire, and retain it stretched while the wire strand is being secured to the supporting post, the objects being, to providea novel, simple and convenient device of the type indicated, which will afiord means for the stretching of a fence wire from post to post, and enable the manipulator easily to retain the wire in a stretched condition, while he secures the strand upon posts at fence corners or intermediately of the same.

To these ends, my invention consists in the peculiar construction and combination of.

parts, as is hereinafter described and claimed. Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan View, partly in section, of the improvement in position for service; and Fig. 2 is an edge view of the improved device opposite the arrow 2, in Fig. 1. I An elongated metal shank A, is provided,

' which at one end has a conical socket a, in-

tegrally formed thereon, the shank body being flattened for a proper length as at b where it extends from the small end of the socket. At 0, a swell is formed oppositely on each edge of the part b, to provide a seat for.

parallel rounded ears g, that are separated bya slot which extends from the end of the shank longitudinally and centrally between the ears, to permit the introduction between them, of afulcrum block 0, which is pivoted by one end thereto as shown at h. The block 0, is curved edgewise, so as to afiordalateral limb i, of a proper length for the support of a hook bar D, there being a preferably rectangular aperture t", longitudinally formed through this limb at its center of thickness, for the free insertion of the straight stem of the hook bar, as shown in Fig. 1. A hook'm, of suitable dimensions is formed on the end of the bar D, which projects beyond the free end of thelimb v1, theterminalm' of said hook being sharpened. The edge of the hook bar D, that is farthest removed from the pivot bolt h, when the parts of the device are connected, has a series of spaced notches 12,

formed in it, which are sloped on their sides nearest the hook m, producing shoulders for the locking engagement therewith of the V- shaped toe n on the locking lever 0, which is pivoted between the parallel ears 0', project ing from the edge of the fulcrum block that is above the notches n. The toe of the lever projects through a hole .in the block 0, so as to interlock with any one of the notches n that may lie below it, such a contact being enforced by the springp as is shown in Fig. 1. The hook bar D, is prevented from complete removal by a cross-pin 7", that will impinge upon the fulcrum block 0, when the bar is drawn so as to cause such a contact.

To afford a properleverage for theiinproved implement, a wooden handle E is inserted in the socket piece a, and secured by a screw or other means, this lever or handle which is shown brokenv away in Fig. 1, being given a proper length for effective service.

When the implement in complete form, is to be employed for the erection of a fence using barbed or other wire strands inits construction, the operation is essentially as follows: The wire strand 8, shown in part, is of a suitable length for an extension along a line of posts such as F, and has one end attached to an upright planted post. The wire strand 3, is gripped between one of the swing dogs B, and the shoulder e, of the shank A that is opposite the end of the dog, the bite of the dog on the wire being shown clearly in Fig. 1; such an engagement of the implement with the wire being had at a point near the post F, whereon the wire strand is to be secured laterally, after it has been stretched a sufficient degree. The operator now causes the hook m, to have contact with the face of the post F, that is nearest to another fence post whereon the wire has a secured engagement, and the fulcrum block 0, is caused to rest its limb i, on the side of the post F that is parallel with the side whereon the wire 8 is to be affixed, the shank A and attached dogs 13, being extended toward the operator who is at the side of the fence post which is to receive the wire strand 3. The manipulator now swings the lever or handle E, away from the hook m, or in the direction of the curved arrow 2' in Fig. 1, which will increase the bite of the dog B on the wire 8, and stretch the latter a proper degree, throwing the lever and its shank, withthe clamped Wire, relatively into the positions indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1., the fence wire being then drawn against the side of the upright post F, so as to permit the operator to retain the lever in the position mentioned by 'a side pressure of his body upon it, while he holds and drives a staple over the wire and into the post to secure the taut fence wire in position on the latter. The provision of the duplicate looking dogs B, affords convenient means for applying the implement upon the wire to draw it in either direction by turning the tool over, as for effective service the latter should be so held as to permit the fence Wire to engage its upper side, as shown in Fig. 1. The adaptation of the hook bar D,

for longitudinal adjustment on the fulcrum block 0, is of service to enable the proper relative engagement of these parts upon posts of different thicknesses, so that the wire gripping portion of the device can be efficiently operated.

Having thus described my invention, I claimas new and desire to secure by Letters 'Patent- 1. The combination with a handle, a shank thereon axially extended therefrom, opposite shoulders on the shank, and duplicate vibratile dogs on the shank, adapted to lock wire between their ends and said shoulders, of a pivoted, laterally-bent fulcrum block on the shank, and a hook bar longitudinally movable and securable on said block, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a handle, an axially extending shank thereon, opposite looking shoulders on the shank, and locking dogs pivoted oppositely on the shank and adapted to lock Wire between their ends and said shoulders, of a laterally curved fulcrum block pivotally attached to the shank terminal by one end and longitudinally apertured through its other member, a hook bar bent at one end, serrated on one edge, and adapted to slide in the aperture in the block, and a pivoted spring-pressed locking lever having a toe that engages the serrations on the bar through a hole in the fulcrum "block, substantially as described.

ADOLF WESTMEYER.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH M. OLTMAN,

G. H. GROSS. 

